Africa still largely the dark continent when it come to power

[RV Pundit]

If you were half educated as i am; you'll not be asking such questions; You do not need to own land to farm; Most of our agriclutural production is plagued by low productivity and inefficiency mostly due to basic lack of farm education; in my village; i see folks who went thro' 12 yrs of education; do far much better than their parents; owning far less the land (after being shared); reason they know how to efficiently and effectively use 1 -acre land.

Jobs are generated by the economy. Not gov. And everywhere including the US..most jobs are in SME sector..in kenya these are informal jobs..in matatus, kinyozis,

Rather than lying to folks that some "right" tribe has taken all jobs...anybody looking for job....should try all sectors..gov...private...and informal sector.

Those who can use mshwari...to get cheap credit..can start business.

Another very narrow view of education. Education apart from impacting one with life skills impart people with ability to make smart choices...how many children to have, when to have them, how to save money, how to start business, how to farm better,

Really?  Is that what all those uneducated but unemployed youth in Kenya are doing?   Making smart choices?    Saving money they don't have?    Farming land they don't have?   Starting business with money they don't have?   It sure doesn't look that way.

There are lots of jobs in private sector and even more in informal sector. 

Really?   And what is the unemployment rate in Kenya?

In kenya you'll be suprised to realize people in informal sector earn more than formal sector of the same level of education. Matatu touts who is std 8 drop out makes more than gov office cleaner.

And exactly how is that relevant to the unemployment rate?

[RV Pundit]

When is the last time you read a kenya labour report? When is the last time you checked earnings in informal sector? There are enough jobs for those willing to work. Those like your friends waiting for "right time" when their tribe will be in power will wait for quite some time. In meantime i would advice them to look for jobs everywhere..including starting their own small business.

This one is definitely very funny!     

[MOON Ki]

If you were half educated as i am; you'll not be asking such questions 

You are right.  But, if I may ask: why aren't you fully educated?

[MOON Ki]

When is the last time you read a kenya labour report? When is the last time you checked earnings in informal sector? There are enough jobs for those willing to work. Those like your friends waiting for "right time" when their tribe will be in power will wait for quite some time.

He, he, that one too is very funny.   

But it is nowhere near as funny as this classic one that I will pass it on to all those "willing to work":

There are enough jobs for everyone...and in this global economy...as many jobs as you want.

Pure Pundit!   

[MOON Ki]

There are lots of jobs in private sector and even more in informal sector.

Give us the number of those jobs Vs. Job seekers,

Without Prejudice.

The Pundit on this thread is Pundit II.   Don't confuse that with Pundit I, who, on this thread

http://www.nipate.org/index.php?topic=1768.msg11671#msg11671

was arguing that Kenya needs to do better on manufacturing because

"For Nairobi...slum dwellers need jobs...our industrial area hasn't grown..it seem to be becoming smaller and smaller...and there in lies the big problem. Most slum dwellers now are engaged in real estate..mjengo...however those are volatile short term jobs."

(That's the closest he came to making a case as to why Kenya needs to do better in manufacturing.)

Number of those jobs Vs. Job seekers?   I too am keen to see those figures.

[RV Pundit]

My point remain the same. There are jobs..all sort of jobs. We can do with better jobs of course. We can do better in formalizing the informal sector. This is now happening in retail sectors..from dukawallas to supermarkets...kenya is now second only to south africa in that sector..we can do the same for all the other sectors.

The last time i checked...only 2m out of 14M folks were lazying around waiting for those white collar jobs or for the "right" tribe to be in power..the rest have immersed themselves to all kind of jobs. About 0.7M are employed by GOk..2.5M by private sector..and the rest by informal sector including real estate, agri activities, etc.

Those with more education even if they were doing informal mjengo jobs or touting...out earn those in formal sector...  The problem is the bulk of those in informal jobs are std 8 or less drop outs. Only about 17% of all adults in kenya have 12yrs plus of education...and there in lies our problem...apart from of course generating better paying jobs.

The Pundit on this thread is Pundit II.   Don't confuse that with Pundit I, who, on this thread

http://www.nipate.org/index.php?topic=1768.msg11671#msg11671

was arguing that Kenya needs to do better on manufacturing because

"For Nairobi...slum dwellers need jobs...our industrial area hasn't grown..it seem to be becoming smaller and smaller...and there in lies the big problem. Most slum dwellers now are engaged in real estate..mjengo...however those are volatile short term jobs."

(That's the closest he came to making a case as to why Kenya needs to do better in manufacturing.)

Number of those jobs Vs. Job seekers?   I too am keen to see those figures.

[MOON Ki]

Pundit:

Someone out there doesn't know what you know.   You should help them help "those willing to work".

"Unemployment Rate in Kenya increased to 40 percent in 2011 from 12.70 percent in 2006. Unemployment Rate in Kenya averaged 22.43 Percent from 1999 until 2011, reaching an all time high of 40 Percent in 2011 and a record low of 12.70 Percent in 2006. Unemployment Rate in Kenya is reported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics"

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/kenya/unemployment-rate

"Youth unemployment in Kenya is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Today, unemployment in Kenya stands at 40%, and 70% of those unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 35.. "

http://www.worldpolicy.org/blog/2013/10/15/reducing-youth-unemployment-kenya

""

http://fortuneofafrica.com/kenya/unemployment-in-kenya/

"Universities in Kenya release about 70,000 graduates into the job market every year. A large number of these graduates contribute to the 40 per cent unemployment rate cited by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics."

http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/departments/it/ideas-to-help-graduates-to-be-more-employable/

""

http://www.ijern.com/journal/April-2014/43.pdf

"Teargas rains down on Kenyans marching for better jobs."

http://www.equaltimes.org/teargas-rains-down-on-kenyans?lang=en#.VQRUC2dFBKo

"Kenya's Ticking Time Bomb: How political corruption is turning the country's spiralling youth unemployment into a threat to society.
...
The country has one of the largest youth populations in Africa, but roughly 70 percent of its working age youth - almost 10 million people - are unemployed, although a surprising number are very well educated and possess the kinds of skills a healthy economy really should be able to put to use.

In a country where almost 80 percent of the population is under the age of 35 some have labelled it a national disaster in the making, that may have serious social consequences and lead to civil unrest."

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2013/11/kenya-ticking-time-bomb-20131120115023966577.html

[Kim Jong-Un's Pajama Pants]

I think corruption of the kind practiced in African countries gives development a knockout blow.  I am just following the latest Ababu/Mutea Iringo saga.  The numbers involved can make the difference between having a functioning hospital or some other well maintained public resource and none.  And this is I believe a tip of the iceberg.

I think bigger economies are better insulated against it.  But even then, only up to a point; Nigeria being a good case in point. 

Education is good.  But in country where values like integrity and discipline don't exist, the people who will make it are usually the exceptional variety.  Wanjiku is screwed from the get go.

[Mr Mansfield.]

"Unemployment Rate in Kenya increased to 40 percent in 2011 from 12.70 percent in 2006. Unemployment Rate in Kenya averaged 22.43 Percent from 1999 until 2011, reaching an all time high of 40 Percent in 2011 and a record low of 12.70 Percent in 2006. Unemployment Rate in Kenya is reported by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics"

www.indexmundi.com/g/g.aspx?c=ke&v=66

The above link I've posted is on economic growth rates,

If you compare Kenya economic growth rate with unemployment rates,you will see a big correlation,take an example of 2006 when the economic growth rate was at a low of 12.70%,you will note economic growth rate was at Over 5%,If you look at 1990s and 2011-12 period,You will note as the economic growth slowed,unemployment rose,

Let me now turn to economic growth,High economic growth means more business activity and more kenyans being absorbed in unemployment and vice versa,The Kenya economy is affected by a number of factors:

(a) The global economy interms of exports like coffee,tea,fresh produce,Remittances and tourism which means if the global economy performs well,our economy performs well,like during the Kibaki first term,the global economy did very and when integrated with local gov policies at the time,we saw reduction in unemployment,strong shilling and increase in revenues,

(b)  Infrastructure and urbanization..The Kenya economy is currently growing at 6-7%,that means more kenyans are getting employment,Kenya is also witnessing urbanization rates of around 4% which is creating demand for housing which is fueling the manufacturing sector in areas like timber,cement,paint,mining,transport etc etc,that is already creating so many jobs..Now lets turn to infrastructure like SGR and low energy costs due to geothermal which will create thousands of jobs in the construction and manufacturing industry and improve our ease of doing business index which attract more investment but the infrastructure project which will create most jobs is the 10,000KMs project by the jubilee gov,if all these projects succeed,unemployment will be back to 2006 level and even lower,

Without Prejudice.

[Mr Mansfield.]

Two other issues,

(a) Real estate jobs are not volatile,they are pegged on housing demand due to urbanization which will remain robust upto 2050 when almost 75% kenyans will be living in cities,

(b) Formal markets,these will largely be driven by urbanization if you look at Kenya formal market its at 30% same as our urban population,As people migrate to cities,that will drive manufacturing since urbanites consume processed milk,processed meat,canned tomato,processed juice,processed water,processed flour etc etc unlike people in rural area who eat potato from shamba instead of chips,use raw milk direct from the cow instead of packed milk or eat mango straight from the tree instead of dried or blended ones,etc etc,

Urbanization means living as a civilized creature in a concrete jungle,

Without Prejudice.